


Alastor's Miserable Day

by XIntensity_After_DarkX (XIntensity_FallsX)



Series: Radiodust collection [2]
Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Alastor has a terrible day, Charlie Alastor friendship, Denial of Feelings, Exploring Alastor's relationships with other demons in the hotel, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Relationship Growth, mentions of cannibalism, radiodust - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-12 22:27:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19238335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XIntensity_FallsX/pseuds/XIntensity_After_DarkX
Summary: Alastor's day goes from bad to worse while helping Charlie with the hotel mishaps all while dealing with feelings he has for Angel after the events of Robbed. Meanwhile, Angel tries to help in his own way after Alastor is gravely injured by an incident he feels directly responsible for.





	Alastor's Miserable Day

**Author's Note:**

> Geez, this one was hard. I almost deleted it a few different times, but it's finally to a spot where I like it. I wanted to explore Alastor's side of things, and his own feelings on Angel as their relationship grows.

“Now really madam, there is no need for that sort of language!” Were the last words he got out before being thrown out of the room. He hit the wall, slid down it, and watched the door slam shut in a loud, wordless rebuttal. A long, winding sigh escaped him. “Well, Alastor. You have two courses of action here. You can walk away, or...” His eyes briefly turned to radio dials. He shook his head no, making the dials vanish. “No. No, no. No need to waste any energy on demons that aren’t worth it immediately.” Instead, he pulled out a small notebook and recorded the demon’s name inside of it with one of the new-fangled ballpoint pens Charlie gave him. “I’ll just see her on a broadcast later.” Slowly, he got up to his feet and carefully adjusted his bowtie and collar. He let out a small sigh. “There, better already.”  

“Alastor!” 

Charlie’s chipper tone made him smile wider. He turned around to face Vaggie and Charlie. “Darlings! How are you today?” 

“Oh, we’re fine. Are you doing rounds?” 

“Why yes! It’s been rather successful. The guests seem happy enough. Just ah... not the last one, but some nuts are tougher to crack than others. ...They always give in though, with the right amount of pressure.” 

Vaggie immediately frowned at him. Alastor eyed her brieflly. Ah, this girl. How did she always know when he was up to something? “Is there anything else you’d like me to do today?” 

“Weeeellll...” Charlie cleared her throat and decided to look anywhere but him. “Would you mind going and checking on Baxter downstairs? He gets into these routines were he ah... Never leaves the lab, and I get a little worried about him. I have a meeting to get to, so I can’t. Normally I send Angel down there, but he’s not currently around.” 

“Oh. You’re right! I haven’t seen him yet today.” Normally, at least since their last adventure, Angel always stopped by to say hello and try to flirt with him at least once before lunch. It was now a good time past lunch, and he had not heard the familiar  _clip_ _clip_ _clip_ of his boots once today. Not that it mattered. Angel was fine, up to no good as always. “Baxter? Well... He doesn’t like me much from some of our previous run ins. He may retreat further into his lab.” 

“Can’t imagine why that is.” Vaggie frowned at him. “Might have something to do with you being a tremendous asshole.” 

“Oh  _darling_ , I know deep down in that grey heart of yours you  _like_  me. I take your jabs as stabs of friendship. And while I love to see people smile, I can smile for the  _both_  of us!” To prove his point, he smiled even wider. 

“You’re so fucking creepy, I can’t with you-” 

Charlie stepped between them. “Yes, yes- you two can’t exist in the same hallway for more than two minutes without evolving into verbal fisticuffs- I know. Come on Vaggie, you come with me. Alastor, please call us if you need assistance.” 

“Have a good meeting ladies!” He gave them a cheerful wave, spinning around on his heel to head down to the basement. 

- 

“I will  _not_ come out to the likes of you!” The business end of a ray gun was shoved through the mail slot of Baxter’s laboratory door. 

“Now, now Baxter—There is absolutely no need for that. I’m merely here doing a wellness check-” He stepped to the side, watching as the ray gun seemed to follow him to where he was standing. 

“Where’s Angel? And Charlie?  _Did you eat them,_ _you_ _miserable wretch?!”_ The ray gun went off, striking the wall a mere inch away from where Alastor stood. 

 _“_ No! No, no. Absolutely not. I would never put any part of Angel in my mouth, and I like Charlie! She’s in a meeting, and I’m certain Angel is off making poor life choices somewhere in the city.” 

There was a long pause from behind the door. Slowly, the ray gun was removed from the opening. Baxter peered out from the opening at him. “You promise?” 

He knelt down next to the door. “Yes. I swear on the hotel. They’re fine. Would you mind signing this? It’s to verify that I saw you and  _you’re_ fine- seeing as how you never come out of there.” He held up the paper to the opening, and felt a pen scratching along the surface. “...Now, I understand coming out for Charlie, but why Angel? If you don’t mind answering.” 

“I don’t. ...He’s very tall. He gets the things from the top shelf for me when he stops by. I... also think he is very pretty. I like looking up his skirt. He has fascinating-” 

“You can stop.” He spoke briskly. “If you’re done signing, I’ll go.” 

There was a long pause behind the door. “Why the sudden change in attitude? Your chipper tone became dower on a dime. Is it because I said I liked looking up Angel’s skirt? It’s not hard when you’re the shortest one in the hotel and the tallest person here reaches for things for yo- Wait. Wait a minute. ...Do you  _like_ him?” Baxter’s voice rose up an octave and the amusement  was  palpable in his voice. “You don’t like anyone. At least not like  _that_.” 

“What?! You’ve lost it, Baxter. I can’t tolerate Angel for more than a good-” 

“You’re blushing. I can see it from the mail slot. Your cheeks match your hair. If you didn’t at least a little bit, you wouldn’t have helped him get the money back from when he was robbed.” 

Alastor’s smile curled dangerously upward. “You’d best quit it, Baxter.  _This door won’t be enough to save you otherwise.”_  

There was some scuffling on the other side of the door, and a sigh. “Fine, fine. For what it’s worth, he’s told me that story at least ten times now. Even if you’re lying about how you feel,  _he_  isn’t.” The mail slot shut with a heavy bang and Alastor drew himself up. He nearly crinkled the paper in frustration when he heard the mail slot open back up again. “Don’t tell Angel I look up his skirt.”  

“Stop looking up his-!”  _BANG_. The slot closed and locked. Alastor folded the paper sharply and smoothed down his jacket despite the fabric being perfectly in place. He rolled the frustration off of his shoulders. Angel was nothing more than someone who lived in the hotel, who helped once. Granted, that night wasn’t a bad one. He even enjoyed himself at times. He most certainly did not have feelings for someone like Angel. It was fruitless, pointless. A worthless endeavor! Angel enjoyed things he wasn’t capable of doing after all. He let out a long, sharp sigh. “What a challenging day today is!” His voice was sharp and hollow, ringing out against the damp basement walls. He stomped up the stairs, opening the door with a hard swing. The knob bounced off of the wall, nearly coming back at him. He stopped it with a hard chop, splintering a part of the door. Despite the wood splintering off into his hand, he did not flinch on his way to the hotel’s bar. 

- 

“The nerve of that miserable shut in fish! I don’t like Angel!” 

“Nope.” Husk said as he paid a passing glance to Alastor’s drink while he dried out the inside of a glass. “You want a napkin for that bleeding hand or are you going to continue to ruin my bar with your damn blood?” 

“What?” Alastor held up his hand and furrowed his brow. He pulled out a few of the largest splinters. “I haven’t the foggiest idea of how this happened! Can I trouble you for that napkin?” 

Husk wordlessly slid over a pile of them. “You want my bartender’s thoughts, or are ya going to spend all of my shift bitching about Angel?” 

“I--h-how long have I been complaining about Angel for?” 

“At least an hour.” 

“An hour?!” The words sounded hollow in his head. He put his forehead in his hands, and then groaned. “What do your bartender’s thoughts tell you?” 

“You like Angel, dumbass.” He started spraying the bits of Alastor’s blood with a cleaner. “You and a fuck ton of other people in Hell. You ain’t alone if that helps.” 

“I don’t like Angel.” 

“Fine, you don’t like Angel.” He shrugged his shoulder.  

“I-- what? Why did you agree with me all of a sudden?” 

“I ain’t going to waste time arguing with a man who is lying to himself.  _Especially_ you. I don’t need you blowing up the hotel on a rampage because I didn’t agree with you.” Husk topped off the rest of Alastor’s drink. “Why do you think I keep refilling your glass? You’re wound up tighter than piano wire today. You get tired and apathetic with alcohol which is why you need to down this very full glass. You might not go on a path of destruction this way, and hurt people who are way better tippers than you.” 

“...I’m so pleased you think so little of my self-control, Husk.” Alastor’s voice went cold. “I’m done drinking, and you can take your ‘bartender’s thoughts’, and shove them. And for the record, I know what I like, and it’s not Angel.” He hopped off the stool. “Not that I care, and this is agreeably bad timing to ask this... but... have you seen him? Normally he’s around by now.” 

“Nope. I got no idea where he’s at, though I thought I overheard him mention his one friend. The broad with the bombs. He’s probably with her.” Husk shrugged a shoulder, and slid Alastor’s untouched drink over to him. “Take your calming medicine before you go.”  

Alastor’s upper lip curled. He opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Charlie’s voice. 

“There you are! There’s a situation with a guest, and I need someone as cheerful as me to help with him. ...Oh, thanks Husk! You are the most intuitive bartender I’ve ever met!” She grabbed Alastor’s untouched drink and downed it in a few quick gulps, causing Alastor and Husk to exchange looks. “Phew.” She slammed her glass on the table. “I needed that.” 

“Er-- what’s wrong, Charlie?” Alastor cleared his throat. “Or rather, what can I help you with?” 

“There’s no time to explain! You’ll know when we get there!” She reached down and grabbed his wrist. 

Husk tossed his apron on the bar. “Wait, princess. Maybe I should go. Alastor’s having a bad day and should find a way to relax.” 

“I am not and will not! Don’t listen to him Charlie, I’m  _fine_.” 

“Husk never offers to help with the guests though.” Charlie frowned at Alastor. “ _Are_ you okay? You’ve been through a lot today. The hole in the seventh-floor wall is shaped oddly like you. And you went down to see Baxter. Did he give you trouble? I can do this myself. Vaggie might be finished by then to join me-” 

“No no, perish the thought. I’m fine. Husk’s ‘bartender thoughts’ aren’t fool proof nor is he right as much as he would like to think he is. I’ve had much worse days! Let’s go take care of the problem together.” Alastor reached down and took her hand. “Lead the way!” 

“Well, if you’re sure.” 

- 

The wail coming from the guest ripped through him, making every part of his body internally vibrate. He and Charlie were forced against the wall from the sheer force of the sound. “WHY IS HE SO MAD?” Alastor shouted to Charlie over another punishing wail. 

“HIS WIFE LEFT HIM FOR ANOTHER DEMON!” 

“ARE YOU GOOD AT THIS SORT OF THING?” Alastor tried to push off the wall to get over to him, but was stopped in place by more anguished sounds. 

“NO, I’VE ONLY REALLY HAD TWO RELATIONSHIPS. I WAS HOPING YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME SORT OF ADVICE! YOU’RE SO CHARISMATIC, I FIGURED YOU DATED A LOT OR AT LEAST HAD MORE EXPERIENCE THAN ME.” 

“I-” He did not have the heart to tell her he barely dated when he was alive, and had more experience butchering a dead body than having a lovely time with another person. “I WILL TRY FOR YOU.” He turned away toward the wailing guest, who was little more than a massive mouth with two small legs. “EXCUSE ME SIR. YOU MUST STOP THAT TERRIBLE SOUND.” 

The guest paused, lowering his massive jaws. 

“THAT’S- that’s better. Now, Charlie and I are here to help you, but we can’t help you if we can’t hear each other.” 

Charlie peeled herself from the wall, joining Alastor at his side. “Yes, we want to help you.  We’re very sorry to hear about your loss-” 

“-Might I add that there’s a bar down right by the lobby with a very helpful bartender with years of advice-giving experience! I highly recommend having many drinks with him! His name is Husk, and he’s very friendly-” 

Charlie elbowed him in the side, but kept her wide smile. “We’re also here for you, emotionally. Do you want to talk about anything?” 

“THAT’S... NICE? AND UNEXPECTED. THANK YOU, PRINCESS.” He turned his attention to Alastor. “WAIT-ARE YOU THE RADIO DEMON?” 

Alastor blinked. “Why yes, I am. You ah... listen to my show?”  

“OF COURSE! MY W-WIFE AND I ARE BIG FANS. CAN I GET YOUR AUTOGRAPH?” 

“Well, of course!” His shoulders immediately dropped from being near pinned to his jaw, and his tightly wound smile relaxed slightly. “Anything for a fan.” He felt Charlie’s hand on his arm, and he turned to look at her. She gave him a warm smile, making him return the gesture in a more genuine way. They both turned to watch their patron scuttle about the room, looking for something for Alastor to sign. 

“HAVE YOU EVER HAD SOMEONE RUN OUT ON YOU THAT YOU LOVE?” 

“I... Not exactly...” His red eyes widened as he watched the demon’s jaws began to quiver. “BUT! But. I am in a different sort of emotional pickle. I can relate?” 

“...WHAT KIND OF A PICKLE?” 

Alastor’s eyebrow twitched. Of course, he’d want to know. “Ah... well... I have fallen victim to feelings of ah... emotional feels of er...  Well, the more important part of the story is that their name is Angel...ica. Angelica is very popular with the types of demons I’m not the fondest of. I worry that they might get hurt, though they’re fully capable of taking care of themselves. It bothers me that people have seen so much of Angelica, and think they have the right to just, oh I don’t know! Keep looking! I don’t even know how to bring this up to Angel—Angelica, without upsetting them, given this is such a big part of who they are they just let it happen without so much as a care. I know Angelica likes me, they’ve made it  _very_  clear, and I admit that while it is annoying... I am also flattered to a degree. I don’t think I’d ever be able to satisfy them and what they want, however. But...” 

“BUT?” He asked and offered Alastor a book to sign. 

“They’re so  _frustratingly_ charming. I have let Angelica get away with far too much, and that’s upsetting as I may have given them the wrong idea that I could possibly...” He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t even do the things they want or like doing and it’s just not going to work despite everyone thinking it will. Maybe I could try but-” 

“YOU KNOW WHAT, FUCK THEM. MY WIFE. ANGELICA. LET’S GO DOWN TO THAT FRIENDLY BARTENDER FOR DRINKS-” 

“Ahh-- you should go down. I need Alastor’s help on a few more things.” Charlie cleared her throat. 

“OH. OH YEAH. SUPPOSE IT WOULDN’T BE GOOD TO DRINK ON THE JOB.”  

Alastor gave her a look with Charlie, who coughed out a non-committal reply into her fist. He signed the demon’s book and sighed. “Yes, I have duties to perform. But may you have a drink on me. Please tell Husk to put it on my tab.” 

“SURE! THANKS, PAL!” He took his book back and smiled widely at them. He waddled out of the room, leaving Charlie and Alastor alone. 

“Please, Charlie. Not a word.” Alastor held up a hand and she went silent. “It’s been a very challenging day for me. ...Perhaps I should have had another drink before doing this, though I probably would have admitted more things under the easy influence of alcohol. Would you mind if I retired early to my quarters?” 

Charlie reached out and hugged Alastor. He froze in her grasp. “You do what you need to. And... you did really well back there with our guest. Thank you. That was what he needed to hear.”  

He relaxed instantly in her hold. “You’re welcome. It’s good to be appreciated.” As soon as she let him go, an explosion rocked the hotel. It sent the two of them backward into the wall. Debris fluttered around them like softly falling snow. Alastor got up, reaching down to help Charlie up. She winced, gingerly holding her arm to her chest. He looked at it, how mangled it was, and how she chewed on her bottom lip. He frowned and started to reach for it. 

Charlie’s eyes widened at his expression. “It’s okay, I’ll heal it. It’ll take a minute or two, but it’ll be as good as new when I’m done.” 

Vaggie ran into the room, nearly tearing the ruined door off its hinges. She eyed Alastor’s frowning face, and then saw Charlie.  

“It’s fine-” Charlie sputtered when Vaggie approached her. When she placed a hand on Charlie’s good shoulder, tears formed in her eyes. “Vaggie, the hotel- the guests! We’ve got to get the guests and our staff out before anyone else gets hurt!” 

“Hey.” Vaggie turned sharply to look at Alastor. “I’ve got the inside. Can you get whatever attacked us?” 

Without a single word, he vanished from the room in a pop of static. 

- 

“I’ve got you where I want you!” Sir Pentious’ voice roared over the loud speaker. The massive robot loomed over Angel, it’s arm smoking from one of Cherri’s bombs. Angel winced and took a step back, looking at the smoking hole in the side of the hotel. “H-Hey! You missed, you asshole! I ain’t that hard of a target! You mind shootin’ at me and not at that building?!” 

“Oh, do you  _like_  that building? Hmmm? Huh. I wonder what it’s like to have something you worked on so hard for completely destroyed?!” Pentious pointed the large arm right at the hotel, gearing up the power for another blast. “Though... I don’t know why you care about thissss particular essstablissshment, sssstill! You care! That’ssss enough for me!”  

“No! I don’t care! I really don’t! Please! Just hit me, I’m the one you want! ...Well, me and Cherri.” He winced and pressed two of his fingers together. Cherri was sent flying in another direction from an earlier blow. “Ya already got her, and the last time I checked, fifty percent is still failing!” 

“You make a compelling point. Too bad I’ve already made up my mind!” 

Angel ran his hands down his face, running toward the gun in an attempt to get in front of the blast. Maybe buy them inside sometime. Hopefully the gals got out, and one of them remembered Fat Nuggets. Or Alastor. He winced hard at the thought. Alastor was going to rip him in half for this. 

The blast never came. The gun faltered, power surging around the end, but nothing was coming out. It burst from the sides, taking the rest of the robot’s arm with it. It hit the ground in a smoldering wreck. Angel’s mouth hung open. “H-How?” He waved the smoke away from his face, seeing the back of Alastor’s red hair and ears a mere few inches in front of him. “Al?” 

Alastor held up a hand, and Angel clammed up. 

“WHAT? Who did that?!” A mechanical hand emerged where the gun attachment was. 

He stood with one arm cocked at an angle to let Angel know to not move. The other was out at his side, grasping at his microphone cane. “Do you have a reservation?” 

Alastor’s voice had a smooth, mechanical sound to it. Angel hunched lower, tugging up his coat collar as if to try and disappear. “Me and Cherri attacked im’, he followed me back here somehow. I’m sorry, A-” The arm cocked to keep him from moved sharply. Angel shut his mouth again. 

“No! Why would I come here?!” 

“Most likely to repent your horrible life choices!” Everything around them grew darker. The air around Alastor filled with static, making Angel’s chest fluff stand on edge. “ _But if you aren’t a guest with a reservation, then you need to leave immediately.”_  

“I-” Every bit of Sir Pentious’ robot vibrated with the dark energy surrounding Alastor. It was loud from the outside, Angel couldn’t imagine what it sounded like from the inside. “FINE! Just keep  _that-”_ One of the robot’s fingers pointed at Angel. “Away from me, and in your part of the pentagram!” 

“Fair enough. Have a delightful evening!” Alastor waved his fingers at the retreating robot. Once the hulking menace was far enough away, Alastor turned sharply on his heels. Despite Angel being taller, Alastor still managed to loom over him. His red eyes had turned to dials.  

Angel threw up his hands, all four of them. “I-I-I’m sorry.” 

“Charlie got hurt because of  _you_.” 

“I...  _what_? Is she okay now?!” 

“Her arm is mangled.” 

“Fuuuuck, no. No, I didn’t think he’d follow me back here! I thought I got away! I gotta go see her-” 

Alastor reached out and grabbed Angel’s arm. “I’ve had a miserable day, Angel. I’ve been blown up, shot at, thrown against a wall twice, had several splinters stuck in my hand, insulted, and had a dear friend hurt because of  _you_.”  

Angel wanted to shrink further down. 

“But do you know what’s worse?” 

Angel swallowed thickly and shook his head. 

“I was wondering where you were all day. I was beginning to worry that you were in some kind of trouble. How right I was, hm? Little did I know that you would bring it here. I thought you were smart enough to keep whatever stupidity you insisted on doing  _away_  from the hotel. Look what you’ve done! You could have gotten everyone in the hotel hurt because you can’t think of what consequences your actions bring! I can’t  _believe_  I wasted any of my day being concerned about you.” 

Angel’s arms all drooped. Alastor let him go. “Well, ain’t you smart.” He muttered. “You’ve figured out that Angel Dust is a bad person. Wow! And it only took you  _this_ long? What, do you want a prize, or somethin’?” He found himself suddenly shoving a finger into Alastor’s chest. “I’m a selfish, egotistical piece of garbage that never thinks things through, and you’re surprised I fucked this up? WOW. Well, I got news for you, pal! There ain’t nothing you can say to me about me that I haven’t already said, thought or screamed out at some point. So... fuck off! I won’t bother you no more. You don’t have to worry or waste any more of your precious time on me!” 

“Great! That’s  _exactly_ what I want!” 

A soft  _clink_ _click_ _clink_ and a hissing noise came from the nearby discarded arm.  Their  agrument  stopped as the ring of metal against pavement grew louder before it came to a stop in front of them. Cherri’s symbol stared up at them, like a tongue razzing them.  Angel covered his mouth, while a second pair pointed straight at the bomb. “Al, look o ut- ” He never had the chance to finish his statement.  Alastor  pushed him hard enough to send him several feet away. He hit the ground just in time to see the bomb explode in front of  Alasto r . Bits of the ruined gun pierced  his  side in a sickening sound Angel knew was going to haunt him.  Over and over and over again,  _thump_ _thump_ _thump_ _._ He covered his ears, feeling tears prick at his eyes. Alastor’s cane left his limp fingers, as he fell down to his knees. 

“No... no.” Angel stumbled over to him. Placing a hand on his shoulders. “Al! Al, no. No, why did you do that? You hate me now! You’re not supposed to...” The air grew heavy with static, making his chest fluff stand up again. 

Angel swallowed thickly, turning Alastor’s face toward him. His eyes were radio dials once more. The surrounding darkness sank over him, covering him from the tip of his ears, down his antlers, soaking his red hair into blackness. Angel reached out to grab Alastor’s hand before it was covered. “I got you, Al! I’m gonna pull you out, hang on!” He leaned back, digging his boots into the ground. Pulling on Alastor felt like yanking on a statue. Regardless of his fighting, Alastor’s hand darkened and Angel’s grip slipped. He fell backward, watching as Alastor rose up, his antlers growing long and black as his form twisted and contorted above him. The red from the sky glinted against the metal trapped in his body. Angel felt tears rolling down his cheeks, and he ignored them. Normally he would have brushed them off or hid them. “Al! Where you goin’?!” 

“Angel! What’s going on?!” Charlie called out to him. “What is that?!”  

“It’s Alastor.” Husk frowned as the black form continued to twist around. “I warned him. I’ll get the gun.” 

“Gun?!” Angel scrambled to his feet. “No, come on! Don’t shoot him! He saved me! Like, twice now!” He ran a pair of hands down his face, and gripped them into fists when he reached his chin. Charlie was at Angel’s side, tugging on one of his arms. “Wh-what are you guys gonna do?! You’re not gonna kill him, are ya?! And your arm-- Oh fuck, this is all my fault-” 

“My arm is okay.” Charlie placed her hands on his shoulders. “All healed. I’m not going to kill Alastor. It looks like he’s injured. I’m going to try and get him to calm down-” 

“I’ll help! Let me help!  _Please_! It’s my fault he’s hurt! M-Maybe I can get through to him.” 

Charlie pursed her lips, giving him a long, hard look. “I... yeah, I think you can. Okay, I’m going to bind him up with a barrier. Try and reach him, maybe he’ll come out of it!” 

“I can do that!” Angel nodded and then glimpsed at the swirling mess of dark magic, static, and antlers. “Fuuuuck, I can still do it, but... shit, Al.”  

Magic erupted from Charlie’s fingers, cutting red ribbons through Alastor’s dark magic. He was forced back down to his knees, letting out an unearthly howl. It rattled the windows on the hotel, and shook Angel to his core. Charlie gritted her teeth, lowering herself to gain more of a center of gravity. “He’s strong!” Her eyes glowed a bright red, horns growing from her head and wings sprouting from her back. “Hurry, Angel!” 

“Okay! ...Ooookay.” Angel approached Alastor carefully, peering into the swirling black void. He made out the metal bits, and tried to look where he assumed his face was. “Al! You in there, babe? I-I know ya are, because you would have bit me in half if you weren’t! Hah... hah, remember? From when you last helped me?” He fumbled with his fingers, watching as two white eyes appeared in the darkness. “Al, look. I’m real sorry. I don’t mean to do these things, and I get it. I get why I gotta be here. I like you guys, a lot. But if I stay the asshole that I am, I’ll just keep hurting you in some way or another, and I don’t want that anymore. I never had people like me before until I came down here! No one’s ever stuck their neck out for me, they woulda left me to die. You saved me like what, three times now counting the club? Who does that for someone they tolerate? C’mon, Al. I know you’re in a lot of pain, and that’s my fault too. I’m pretty good at TLC, so let me help.” He chewed on his bottom lip, took a deep breath, and eased his hands into Alastor’s magic. “I’m going to pull you outta there.” 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Charlie called out to him. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DANGEROUS THAT IS?!” 

Hands grasped his own. “I don’t know!! But I think I got im’!” He felt the hands grabbing him tighter. Angel yanked back with every bit of strength he had, taking Alastor with him and out of the distorted magical energy. Charlie’s binds vanished along with Alastor’s dark magic. “I gotchya!” Angel pulled Alastor to him. “I got ya.” He pressed Alastor’s face to him, feeling his weak breath on his chest fluff. Each breath was more ragged than the last. “Charlie! He ain’t doin’ so well!” He felt Alastor’s hands on his legs, shaking as they reached upward. His fingers gripped Angel’s hemline on his short skirt, and pulled it down and much as it would go. “Wh-what the hell? What’s wrong with my skirt?” 

“Baxter keeps looking up it.” 

Angel stared down at Alastor in his arms. He felt himself smile despite the situation. “He kinda can’t help it being so short. Why—are you jealo-” 

A gunshot ripped through the air. Cold traveled through him as he clutched at Alastor’s coat. He was slack against him now, face smushed up against his collarbone. “N-no.” Angel turned toward the sound, seeing Husk on the hotel’s stoop, holding a rifle. Angel knew whatever expression he was making had to be bad, as the other demon shook his head quickly, and pointed downward. He forced himself to look, spying a large dart sticking out of Alastor’s arm. “A.. A tranquilizer?” 

“Yup. There’s no way he would have sat still while you pull jagged bits of metal out of him. He’ll be out for hours now. You’re welcome.”  

- 

“You gotta let me in!” 

Angel’s shrill voice roused Alastor from sleep. He let out a groan, feeling a hard throb coming from his side from his patched up wounds. Someone had changed him into his pajamas. He hummed a bit, thinking about who would have had the nerve to do such a thing. "Husk." He made a mental note to check with him later and see if he was right.

“You can’t!” 

 _“_ _Vaggie_?” Alastor blinked.  

“Charlie said no one bothers him. I’m here to make sure that happens. You need to fuck off till he is better.”  

“Look here, toots. I  _need_ to see him-” 

“What for? Because you have a giant raging hard on for him? Like  _that’s_  going to help him recover.” 

Alastor scoffed. She wasn’t  _wrong_. He turned his head to the door. If someone told him Vaggie was trying to protect him at the start of his day, he would have laughed, patted their head, and walked away. Their argument was growing louder. With a sigh, he waved his hand and let the door open with a bit of magic. “It’s alright, darling! You can let him in.” 

She poked her head into his room, wincing at his ear to ear smile. “Are--are you sure?”  

“Yes, yes. It’s fine. I’m up.” 

“Well... your choice I guess.” She stepped aside, letting Angel bound into the room. He wore a suit. It was enough to make Alastor blink several times. It was a well-cut pink and white striped suit, with an emphasis on the shoulders, tapered in the waist- save for the arms, and had _pants_. Alastor’s eyebrows rose up sharply, and suddenly. 

 _His chest_ _fluff is gone._  

Angel straightened up, holding up his pink and white tommy gun _. “_ Hiya, Al!”  

Alastor swallowed. “I... hello, Angel. I must have been knocked into a different universe of sorts.” He let out a low chuckle. “Vaggie protecting me, and you being... well, not you, makes total sense. It wouldn’t be the  _first_  time that happened, haha! This day’s been utterly miserable so I shouldn’t be surprised.” 

“Huh? You ain’t in another universe, I know that much. And me? I’m me! I’m here for a job interview! Ya gotta look presentable for that.” He fluffed his bowtie with his free set of hands. 

Alastor’s smile thinned out. “What?” 

“I gave it a ton of thought, as you got me through a loop tryin’ to figure out why you keep helping me. You  _must_  see somethin’ special in me because you save me and stick out your neck for me. ...Which resulted in you bein’ in here, with grave bodily harm.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “I didn’t even fuck you, and you keep saving me and helping me, and not wanting people to look up my skirts- so I gotta think that you want me around for my gangster skills! Which makes perfect sense!” 

A small, annoyed sound escaped Alastor’s throat. 

“Now I know what you’re thinking.” Angel dragged one of his chairs over, flipping it so the back was facing Alastor’s bed. He sat down on it, his knees poking the mattress. “What can I do for you? What can Angel Dust do for Al that isn’t a blow job- but you’d tell me if you wanted one, right?” 

“I-” 

“Great! Okay, so. Back to the original question. What can Angel do for you? An  _excellent_  question. When I was alive, I was a gangster. I was great at it, I’ll have you know! I was the driver.” 

Alastor opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. 

“I’m an excellent operator of a getaway car. I can drive like a man who doesn’t have his license! Which is true. Because I  _don’t_ . I never even crashed a single car! Lost an axle once and a few doors, but no crashes.” He nodded proudly. “I am also very liberal with my gun. I’m a big fan of spraying the target with bullets, fully ensuring a very nasty AND thorough death! I’m also very willing to name my gun here after  _you_. The Big Al!” 

“Please don’t name your gun after me.” 

“Okay, you’re not that kind of guy. I get it. You’re more understated. I can do understated. I can be discreet as fuck.” 

“Angel.” Alastor pinched the bridge of his nose. “You are the antithesis of the word understated, and I doubt by your previous profession of Hell’s Most Popular Pornography star that you are not fully capable of being discreet. Why- Why are you doing this...?” 

“Because I want to be freaken’ useful to you! I ain’t useful to you as Angel Dust the former Porn Star with my luscious chest fluff, and if you don’t want Angel Dust the Gangster, I’m running out of ideas!” He ripped his hat off of his head, ringing the brim in a pair of his hands. “You gotta tell me what you want me to be!” 

He let out a long sigh, moving away from the edge of the bed. “Sit here.” He patted the now free space. 

“What I do now?!” His words came out like a whine, but he obliged. He sat in a slump, his arms out in front of him. “I just want to be around you in a way that doesn’t annoy you. That you’ll  _want_ me around.” 

Alastor quietly removed his bowtie, placing it off to the side. He popped the buttons on Angel’s suit next. “I want you around. You annoy me, but you’re not boring. I know we had our argument outside in all, but clearly we aren’t holding up to that at all. Tell me how you came to this conclusion.” 

“I... okay. While you were recovering, I did a lot of thinking. I don’t think things through and I could have hurt so many more people, and the hotel- and you- Al, I ain’t gonna get the sight of all those bits of metal sticking out of you any time soon. That’s going to haunt my dreams for a long ass time. I don’t want to be- Ah... That’s my shirt you’re unbuttoning. Not that I mind, but uh... are we going to do somethin’?” 

Alastor chuckled at the hopefulness laced in Angel’s words. “No.” He quipped and pushed Angel’s crisp white shirt open. Beneath his undershirt was not a lacy brassiere, but a plain undershirt. His fluff seemed to be combed down completely. “May I rip this off?” He tugged on the undershirt’s hemline. 

“Yeah? I’m real curious about what the fuck you’re doing. I’m getting a lot of mixed signals.” 

“I’m proving a point. Please continue yours.” 

“R-right. Hah. Okay. So... I thought about the things I could do to try and be better. I figured I’d start with you, and maybe that’ll trickle down from there. I know you like suits and stuff. You’re old fashioned. I like that too, it's familiar from when I was alive. So... I dusted off the first suit that I bought when I came here before I even was into wearing skirts and shit, and came to see you in something you might like more than what I usually wear-” 

A long rip filled the room. 

“I-I can do so many things, I swear I can. I just want to help you-” 

“May I touch your chest fluff, please?” Alastor asked, watching as Angel turned a bright red color. 

“What? Are you kiddin' me? I pushed it down because I thought... I thought you didn’t like it. ...Yeah, go ‘head. You don’t have to ask, Al. You got special privileges when it comes to me. None of the guys I’ve ever known would have taken so much as a bee sting for me, family included.”  

Alastor’s hands were in Angel’s chest fluff, his eyebrows furrowed hard. “I never had family. Seems worthless!” 

“It doesn’t-” Angel bit back a moan. Alastor’s hands were insistent and determined. “H-have to be. What can I say, Al- I'm from an Italian family. It’s... fuck. You know that feels good, right? What the fuck are you do-”  

“Shh.” Alastor took the remains of his under shirt, using it like a brassiere to support his newly formed chest fluff. He tied the ends of Angel’s dress shirt underneath his second set of arms, and buttoned up enough of his shirt to still keep a good portion of his fluff revealed. He squinted at his work. “You know, molding your ah... chest... is not as easy as it looks.”    

Angel looked down at the slightly misshapen fluff mounds. His eyes widened a bit. “You made me tits?” 

“I don’t want you to change who you are to fit what you think _I_  want you to be. Even though you're annoying, I like you for who you are-ohf!” Angel threw his arms around him in a tight hug. He went about burying his face in Alastor’s neck. 

“No one’s ever said that to me before.” He buried his face in deeper, clinging to Alastor with all he had.

“You are uniquely you, Angel. I wish you were a bit more careful with your dealings, as I want you to  _continue_  being you. I... I’m sorry I expressed my anger earlier like I did. I let my terrible day get the better of me, and seeing Charlie hurt like that put me over the edge. Not to mention you putting yourself into danger. I know the harm you caused was not on purpose. I like to think I would have handled that differently if my day was less... challenging. And off the record... I never said I didn’t like them. Your... _fluff_. I don’t like when people stare at them like they have a right to.” He eyed Angel’s reshaped chest with a furrowed brow when the other demon finally sat back. “Ah, sorry. I made them a bit uneven. I’d try to fix them, but now that they vaguely resemble a bosom, I feel ah... awkward about it.”  

Angel’s expression went soft. He leaned over and kissed Alastor’s cheek. “Nahh, you did just fine. I like im’. They're perfect.” 

“You’re welcome.” He shifted further down into the sheets. “I need to tune out for a while to recover. Did you want to rest with me?” 

Angel nodded eagerly and stood up. “Do ya mind if I take my pants off? I can’t stand wearin’ them after switching to skirts. You should totally give skirts a try! Show off them pins, Al.” 

“Oh no! That's quite alright. I like pants very much. But... G-go ahead.” He swallowed and fixed his eyes on the ceiling. He heard the zipper, and the heavy belt dragging the thin material to the floor with a dull thud. He sighed and looked to the side, getting a glimpse of Angel in a pair of black panties garter belt, and clipped stockings. His throat went dry. “Goodness! Why... what... interesting attire, Angel!” 

Angel toyed with the tied ends of his shirt. “Uh... if you got a robe, I can put that on. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable in your own bed.”  

Alastor shut his eyes. “No... no. It’s fine. Come lay beside me.” He patted a space next to him. He felt the bed shift, and Angel cuddling up to his side. 

“Geez, Al. You’re so warm.” He sighed, pressing further against him. “It’s nice. Most demons aren’t warm at all.”  

“Being based after a mammal does have some upsides.”  

“Hey! If you’re a mammal, does that mean you have nipples?” 

“I-” Alastor felt his cheeks go pink. “I prefer not to answer that question.” 

“Ohhh. That means yes! Can I see im’? Wait. I know the answer is no. Hear me out. ...Will you  _consider_ letting me touch them?” 

“NO. Angel, you take a mile whenever I give you an inch.” 

“Nah, I only take five feet.” 

Alastor turned to look at him, taking in Angel’s wide, proud grin. He felt his own face split into a wide smile. 

“Now...  _this_ is my favorite smile.” Angel reached over and cupped Alastor’s cheek. “I’m sorry your day sucked. I’m sorry I didn’t either help.” 

“Bad days happen.” Alastor shifted so he was resting on his side. “This is a nice way to end one, though.” 

“Do you want to tell ole Angel about it?” He asked and patted his fluffy chest. “Best pillow in all of Hell.” 

Alastor eyed him for a moment. “Well... if you insist.” He moved over, resting his head on his chest. He sank into the soft fluff, and made a small, impressed noise. “You ARE comfortable, Angel- I'll give you that.” He felt a hand comb through his hair, fingers gently rubbing around his antlers and ears. They fidgeted involuntarily.  

“So, tell me about your bad day.” 

“I... huh. You know... it doesn’t seem so bad now. How did you do that?” 

“It’s the scalp massage. My fingers are magic, babe. I told you I was good at TLC!” 

Alastor shut his eyes. “If you want to know what you can do for me going forward, it’s this. This is the best I’ve felt all day. I’ve never had anyone do this to me before.” 

“I... I can do that, for sure! This ain’t even hard! ...Wait, no one ever comforted you before?” 

“No. Why would they? I killed many people and ate a few while I was alive. I killed many demons and ate few while I’m dead. I’m not exactly a being people... comfort.” 

Angel swallowed thickly. “Would ya ever eat me?” 

“Not in the way you want me to.” He looked up at him and grinned, only to see the mortified expression on Angel’s face and felt the tension going through his thin body. “Of  _course_  not, Angel. I would never eat you. Or anyone here in the hotel.” 

Angel relaxed instantly, allowing Alastor to sink into back into him. His fingers went back to stroke through his hair. “Al? Why are you here? Can you tell me?” 

“Mmm. Sometimes you need a change of pace, Angel. It keeps things fresh. Plus, Charlie’s cheerful energy is infectious! It’s nice to be around such positivity, and with her optimism matching my own? It’s nice! It’s... why I was so upset that she was hurt. Thankfully she can heal. I can too, but I need to completely shut down.” 

“The tune out thing?” 

“Yes.  It’s... Not my favorite thing in the world. After all, I am powerful demon in a prey animal’s body. There’s... discomfort in being shut down all the way with no real ability to protect myself if something goes wrong. However, my body’s currently patched up Swiss cheese, so it's entirely necessary!" He felt Angel shift and make a distressed noise in his throat. "I’ll be fine in the morning though, I promise.” 

Angel kissed the top of his head. “Okay. I’ll keep you safe. Get some rest.” 

Alastor blinked up at him, and his smile went soft. He leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Angel.” 

He felt his face turned a bright red. “Yeah, yeah. G’night, Al.” Angel felt Alastor go immediately slack against him. He bit his lip, frowning when he did not feel so much as a breath on his fluff. “You weren’t kiddin’ when you said tune out. Damn.” He looked up at the ceiling, and how the red light from hell’s sky bounced off the ceiling. He looked to the right, spying the book he saw Alastor constantly reading from. “Maybe I’ll get far enough along in your book that we can talk ‘bout it. Unless it sucks.” He reached over, snagging it off the side table. He cracked it open, and began to read it. His fingers carefully brushing through Alastor’s red hair, stroking it absently while he cracked the book open. 

 

-End 


End file.
